This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Thursday is a light day with only three games on the docket. This will concentrate the talent, as most teams will have a lot of the same players. There will also be fairly thin talent, which means that it could be worth it to put some low-priced filler players on the roster so that you can afford more talent at other positions. Let's dig further into the match-ups and look for some good value.
Point Guard
Brandon Knight, $6700, vs LAC. If you sort by average there are three clear demarcations in value among the point guards playing on Thursday. Stephen Curry is on an island by himself averaging 50 FPts/G, then there is a gap before the threesome of Ricky Rubio, Chris Paul and Brandon Knight averaging in the low 30s of FPts/G, then there is another gap before the next group of PGs averaging in the teens or less in FPts/G. Knight is the least expensive of that second grouping, and also is facing a Clippers defense that is 21st in the NBA in opposing point guard production allowed.
Shooting Guard
Klay Thompson, $6800, at MIN. Thompson has the third-highest FPts/G average among shooting guards on Thursday, but he has the best match-up against a Timberwolves defense that ranks 25th in production allowed to opposing shooting guards.
Alec Burks, $5500, at MIA. Outside of a down match-up vs. the Memphis Grizzlies last Saturday, Burks has averaged 29 FPts/G in the other three of his previous four outings. If that 29 FPts/G is Burks' true level, it would essentially tie Dwyane Wade for the second-best average among shooting guards going on Thursday but at a $1400 cheaper price tag.
Small Forward
Nemanja Bjelica, $4600, vs GS. There aren't any elite small forward options going on Thursday with the possible exception of Andrew Wiggins, who was returning to form before having to sit out of Tuesday's game with a sore knee (he is currently listed as a game-time decision for Thursday). Thus, the trick for small forwards is to get reasonably solid production at a low price tag. Bjelica comes off the bench for the Timberwolves behind Kevin Garnett, but since Garnett only plays about 18 minutes per game there is plenty of time for Bjelica to produce. His 22.8 FPts/G average is fourth best among SFs on Thursday but he is the only one with a price tag under $5000. He has also trended up of late, averaging 29.7 FPts/G over his last three outings.
Harrison Barnes, $5100 and/or Andre Iguodala, $4700, at MIN. The same rationale works for the two Warriors wings, as each are in the same price range as Bjelica but have the ability to produce as well as the higher priced small forwards on this list. Iguodala has the higher floor but the lower ceiling, as four of his last five outings have been between 20 and 23 FPts while the fifth was in the low 30s. Meanwhile, Barnes has been as low as 14.4 FPts but has three games over 30 FPts in his last five outings.
Power Forward
Derrick Favors, $7800, at MIA. Much like with the point guards, on Thursday there are clear demarcations of value with one mega-elite option (Blake Griffin at 45.5 FPts/G), three very good starters (Chris Bosh, Favors, and Draymond Green averaging between 31 and 35 FPts/G), a fringe starter in Markieff Morris (23.4 FPts/G), then everyone else averaging in the mid-teens or lower. Favors is tied with Green for the lowest price tag of that group of very good starters, he averages a couple of more FPts/G than Green at the same price tag, and he has a solid match-up against a Heat group that is 12th in the NBA in production allowed to opposing power forwards (whereas Griffin and Bosh are facing the 1st and 2nd strongest defenses on opposing PFs). Plus, with Rudy Gobert limping on an ouchy ankle, Favors could be called upon to carry a heavier load than usual for the Jazz on Thursday.
Center
Karl-Anthony Towns, $7100, vs GS. Towns' price tag hasn't caught up to his value yet, as he is second in FPts/G for centers on Thursday but has the fourth-highest price tag. Towns has averaged 42 FPts/G over his last three outings, and also has a 54.8 FPts effort earlier in the season. He faces the defense that is 12th in production allowed to opposing centers.
